northern lights

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

Onam is here again!!A festival of Kerala,it is
celebrated by all communities, with a spirit of comradeship , togetherness and
unity.Such festive spirit is rarely visible in other festivals.. A Malayali,where ever he may be ,willbe enthusiastic about Onam. There
is a saying in Malayalamthat even if
you have to sell your belongings,you mustcelebrate Onam.The festival enthusesevery one,young or old,rich or
poor. Actually the festivities continue for the whole month.Onam is a festival of flowers , rejoicing
and hilarity

Floral decoration

In olden days
the festivities were generally restricted within the family. With the passage
of timethe celebrations have reached the pinnacle. From the precincts of the
households the festival is now all pervasive. The shops, business establishments andoffices all celebrate the festivalwithgreat fervour and enthusiasm. They arrange special feasts for the employees.
Decorations areexemplary .All this is
enoughto mesmerise everyone.

Thistime is ideal to visit Kerala.The Festive spiritis visible evenin
Nature. Every thing is in plenty.The coconut and palm trees spread a nostalgic
breeze and aflavourwhich isno where available. The famous Boat racesare also held during this time of the year.This
attracts lots of tourists from all over the world.

Shopping is
an integral part of this festival. All shops storeplenty ofarticles connected with this festival. Special schemes and discounts
are offered to thebuyers. The highlight
of the festival is the feast, sadya,Alldelectable Keralaspecial recipes are prepared.They include Avial,
Erissary. Olan ,Kalan and many other delicacies.The centre ofattraction is the Payasam.

Tempting Sadya

Every
malayali takes pride to be a part of all the celebrations to welcome their dear
king,Mahabali who is supposed to be in
the Netherland(pataal Lok) and visitshis subjects
everyyear.Happy Onam to everybody.

Monday, 27 August 2012

We
have all come across a saying that 'Time and tide wait for none’. The
tentacles of time have embraced in its grip every living being . Why
living beings alone? Even nature is bound by time. The sun rises at its
allotted time. It sets and the moon takes over. Wow! What a disciplined
rotation!So too is the control of time
on human beings. Have you ever wondered how ‘tide’ is associated withtime? There is a famousstory of a King who prided
himselfin being invincible.Heboasted to his courtiers thateven elements are under his controland he rules over even the waves. To prove
his claim he led his courtiers to the sea sideand commanded the waves tostop.But
he failed to to keep in check the tides.Thus time and tidehave become ever lasting partners!!

The time has no
limit .It is eternal. It was there in the past, it is currently in the present
and will continue to be in the future. Thus the past, present and future are
governedby time. The time is timeless. Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical
of things; the past is gone, the future has not come, and the present becomes
the past even while we attempt to define it, and, like the flash of lightning,
at once exists and expires. said Charles Caleb . Every thing happens
according to time. You must have seen parents worryingabout their son not getting a jobor not gettinga suitable bride .Every thing will
happenat the destined and appropriate
time. The Omar Khayamm’s famous words

“The moving
fingerwrites and having writ

moves on,: not all
your piety nor Wit

Shall lure it
backto cancelhalf a Line,

Nor all your
Tears wash out a Word of it.”

Right from
childhood the children must be made to
understandthe value of time. It must be ingrained in their
minds that they mustnot waste
time.They must respecttime. Time once gone will never be back It
will go forward .It is for us to utilise it. If you do not respecttime it will flee fromyou. You must realise that you must not waste
time.Once wasted the the time will fly
away from you.Only the irresponsible andfoolish people do not respect the time. The intelligent among us
understand the value of time.You must have seen many people who are all the time
complaining that theyhave no time. If properly
planned, we can catch the time and use it fruitfully.

Time is a great healer.The days of sorrow and grief do not last forever. Timeenables you to come out of your failings andfrustrations with a healing
touch. Wemust respecttime and acquire positive feelings You must follow
the examples of your fore fatherswho
were great achievers. Remember the famous
poem ‘The psalms of life” written by Longfellow.

Saturday, 25 August 2012

Today I am in a reminiscent frame of mind. The famous lines of the poet W.H. Davies , 'what is this life,if full of care,there is no time to stand and stare' keep haunting me. It appears as if every one is running, to attain his goal. You just stand at the crossing of any road of your city and observe. Multitudes of men and women,young or old, are rushing. They don't even look sideways. Like the waves of an ocean the teeming millions are jostling and crowding.You wonder what is their hurry and why they all look dazed and stricken. If you observe their faces intently you will be amused. The contour of each face depicts the same story. They are tense and convoluted. In reality people have forgotten how to be at peace with themselves.The same sequence of events follow in the evening.. They reach home highly strung probably upbraided by the boss.There is no time to relax as they have domestic chores to attend to. All of us have read the lines 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'.This is a universal truth. Every one requires a free space to relax not only ones' body but also ones' mind and soul.Just try to laze around for a while doing nothing and you will feel relaxed and refreshed.. Withdraw your self into nothingness. .At the end of this you are bound to experience a positive energy flowing through your being! Many big establishments compulsorily send their employees on paid leave precisely to refresh and reinvigorate them. It must be understood that relaxation is not laziness.In fact a lazy person is one who has no will of his own and no provocation to enjoy the pleasures of relaxation. It calms down the stress and strain and removes all negativity. One should know how to make the best out of oneself. Enjoy good music and good books.Learn to love the beauty of nature.I read somewhere "If you are losing your relaxation you are losing your soul". Look at the various colours of nature. Hear the sounds of nature. They will make you ecstatic.William Wordsworth's poem The Daffodils is perhaps written in the same mood.I am quoting some lines from the poem below:-

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Hi friends, nothing has come out of
my Kitchen Diary for quite some time. Some friends want recipes of Chutneys. So
today I present some recipes of chutneys. Chutney is prepared with a variety of
vegetables, fruits, green leaves and some
nuts.It can be taken fresh and can alsobe preserved.It depends on thehousewife touse her imaginative
skill and prepare chutneys from a variety ofitems. Chutneys add flavourtofood. In olden days Chutney
was ground in stone mortars but now it is easier to grind it in a mixi or a blender..The most popular and common
chutney ismadewith mint leaves. It is also known as Hari
chutney.So I start with it.

1 Mint Chutney

Ingredients :-

Mint leaves100 gms

Coriander leaves1handful

Green chillies3 or 4

Raw mango1

Saltaccording to taste.

Method:-

Washthe leaves very well. Remove skin of the
mango and cutinto small pieces.Slit the
green chillies. Put all the ingredients in a mixie and grind into a finepaste.

Variations:- a.We
can add about 2 spoons of curd in the chutney.

b.Instead ofraw mango we can use tamarind, anardanaor even vinegar.

c.This chutney is a good
appetiser. We may add 2 or 3 spoons of this chutney ina glass of water. Itwill
turn out to be a very refreshing drink.

2. Dates Chutney

Ingredients:-

Dates (destoned) 1 cup

Ginger Sliced into thin strips 2 tspVinegar 1/4 cup Salt to taste Red chili powder 1 tsp Sugar 2 tsp Method:- Keep the dates, chili powder, ginger and salt on the fire for boiling. Keep stirring till the dates are tender.When the dates become tender add vinegar and sugar and let it simmer on slow heat till the chutney thickens. The same procedure can be followed for making dry apricot chutney.3.Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:-

Coconut Grated i cup Ginger A small piece Green Chillies 4 Salt according to taste. Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp Curry leaves 1 stem Oil 2 tsps MethodIn a mixi grind coconut,ginger and green chillies into a fine paste. Now add salt.In a small pan heat oil and add mustard seeds and curry leaves.and pour it into the chutney and mix well.Variationsa,A spoonful of curd can be added to this chutneyb.Instead of green chillies red chili powder can be usedc.Roasted chana dal can be mixed with coconut before grinding. d. Coconut can be dry roasted instead of raw coconut.e.We can add an onion and a tomato while grinding

4 Plum Chutney

Ingredients:- Plums 500 gmsVinegar 1/4 cupginger a small piece chopped garlic 2 pods coarsely salt to tastered chili powdersugar 1 spoon Method Soak the plums in warm water for a few minutes. Remove them, peel the skin and remove the seeds. Keep it for boiling along with ginger, garlic, salt and chili powder.When the plums are soft add vinegar and sugar.Keep stirring till the chutney becomes glossy. Variations;--The same method can be used to prepare chutney from Litchi,Banana and Guava5 .Peanut ChutneyIngredients:--Peanuts shelled 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves 1 bunch

Cumin seed powder 1 spoon

Salt

Green chillies 4

Lime juice or vinegar 3 spoons

Method

Grind all the ingredients in the mixi.

6 Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:-

Tomatoes 250 gm

Onion 1 Medium size

Salt

Green chillies 3 to4

Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves. two stems

Urad dal 1/4 tsp

Oil 1 Tbsp

Sugar (optional) 1tbsp

Method

Wash the tomatoes, green chillies and onions, cut them and keep on the fire with very little water.Add salt. Boil for a few minutes.After it cools down grind coarsely in a mixi. Heat oil, add mustard seeds urad dal and curry leaves and mix well in the chutney. If required add sugar.

And now some tips. Chutneys can be taken with snacks, with fritters, idli, dosa, vadas and can can be spread on bread slices. We can serve chutneys with lunch and dinner to add to the taste of the meals.

Tuesday, 14 August 2012

In continuation of my article posted yesterdayI wish to state that the situation is slowly changing. Educated women are well aware of their rights.Their husbands have realised that women must be given a place of prestige and honour in the family In our circle of relatives and friends equality is the secret. Similarly many others who have come to face reality have eradicated thoughts of gender discrimination, female literacy and domestic violence from their lives. It is heartening to know that in certain backward areas too, this enlightenment is slowly but surely dawning upon the populace..Opening of factories on a large scale have provided employment opportunities for women.This has enabled women to become financially independent to a great extent. The tyranny of biological distinctions are also on the wane. In many villages the Pradhans are females.They are selflessly making efforts to wipe out the evils from the society and bring a streak of hope and brightness. Thus the impact of patriarchs is diminishing to some extent, the signs of which are visible to all., In some states of India Matriarchal system is already in existence since time immemorial. Here Woman are treated with great respect.They are the undisputed heads of families holding all rights to property and consequently of the off springs. Based on the success of this practice the Courts have passed judgements that the females of a family have equal rights in the property in their parental homes.

The women have to prove their talent against the
world who see them as merely vassals of producing children. The Indian woman
has to make her way through all the social prejudices against her.They have started climbing the ladder of success and thus we see a strong and bright light in the horizon.

Monday, 13 August 2012

In the past few months I have been watching serials on TV depicting various issues pertaining to women.The issues highlighted range from unwanted girl child, dowry, child marriage, domestic violence and many other related subjects.These are all serious matters.I just pondered whither women? Actually women are frail and delicate as compared to men who are of a stronger build and are aggressive by nature.Women are more receptive, patient and calm than men. The women are as intelligent as men.Why is it that the women do not hold the place of prestige in the society.Since times immemorial women have been looked upon as meek, obedient and under the control of men whereas they are more amenable to suggestion and stronger in their convictions. Women are generally looked down upon all over the world. In India too the position of women is no better. .Even educated ladies have to face the male dominating attitude. I have seen working women who are in mortal fear of their husbands. Just sample a daily routine of an average working lady . Before she leaves for her work place ,she has to prepare breakfast for the family, prepare and pack tiffin for her husband and the children and other miscellaneous jobs like keeping clothes for the family etc. There is no count of the household jobs. By the time she reaches the work place , she is already exhausted. Once there, she has no relief. Completing the targets,and going through new cases, she has assignments to be completed and dead lines to achieve.. On reaching home .she cannot rest. Washing clothes, preparing dinner, helping the kids in their school home work and multifarious other works waiting to be looked into, need her attention. All this while the Lord and Master of the house is taking a nap after a 'hectic'day in office. What an irony!.He proclaims that his madam is the master of ceremonies in their household. Even if the lady is not a working woman the whole day she has to slog. Hubby and the kids maintain some discipline when the lady goes out for work. But when she is around they are all relaxed. In many houses the working lady has no right on her own earnings.She has to hand over her salary to her husband.She is given an amount which is a pittance.In such circumstances the mutual trust and understanding between the couple is completely missing. The madam keeps away some amount stealthily . As a drawing and disbursing officer in my office some ladies had requested me not to divulge their salary to their husbands. They are frequently beaten by the 'Superior Ones' for not obeying them. All this is part of domestic violence. The Government has declared this sort of harassment as illegal but hardly any one reports to the police out of fear. Another factor which is belittling the women is the taunts and hostility for producing a baby girl, not only by the husband but his entire family. Many a time the innocent baby girl is neglected by her kith and kin. A great issue is made by the husband and his family for bringing very little or no dowry by the girl.Such garish behaviour in cities is very common. It is a matter of shame that even educated women are subjected to such atrocities. A great factor which is responsible for the degradation of women is illiteracy. If this is the state of affairs in cities right under the nose of the Govt. what will be the fate of illiterate women and those living in slums and villages. Gender discrimination is also contributing to all violence and atrocities against women. The girls step out of their secure homes unaware of the evils of rape, sexual harassment and trafficking in the world outside the sphere of security of their homes.Such issues are like a cancer which is corroding and destroying the very fabric of the society.

Government is doing a lot for the betterment of women and giving them the respect and honour which they deserve. Our country has produced several women who have made India proud but much more has to be done. Many Women's organisations are also working in this direction. A country which has produced Women as President ,Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and achievers in all fields deserves to make women respectful and honoured in the society. In the words of the great Saint ,Teacher and Philosopher, Swami Vivekananda,"It is impossible to think about the
welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved. It is
impossible for a bird to fly on only one wing.”